Kawhi Leonard is ready to rewrite his Clippers story, disproving biggest criticism

When narrowing down where experts have most criticized Kawhi Leonard, it is completely unrelated to his impact on both sides of the ball. In fact, it has everything to do with injuries and load management, yet that has changed to start the year, as the two-time champion recently mentioned that he will be playing in the LA Clippers’ upcoming back-to-back beginning with the Miami Heat and ending with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Although Leonard is still a top-10 talent in the NBA and one of the LA Clippers’ best defenders at age 34, he was one of the players who ultimately introduced the concept of missing games to superstars around the league.

Some still implement it, and others do not, but Leonard, in particular, load managed throughout his 37 games played last season. By the time of the season’s end, two back-to-backs remained, and he took part in one of them, scoring a total of 49 points over the two wins against the Dallas Mavericks.

That said, by setting the record straight early, Leonard is showing that his Clippers’ story still has some chapters left, and he wants them to include at least one championship.

Kawhi Leonard performing while not load managing makes success inevitable

Kawhi Leonard may have been part of the cause of both of the LA Clippers’ losses this season, but he is still on an All-NBA-level pace. He is averaging 23.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, shooting above 50% from the field, 40% from the 3-point line, and 90% from the free throw line.

However, Leonard’s averages have always looked good. What has not been missed are his games, especially as a Clipper, leaving an asterisk on the team he has spent a chunk of his career with. 

This could all be rewritten with a championship. It will take 77 more games, plus 16 playoff wins, all in the span of several months, yet Leonard dominating like he has, while not in the headspace of load management, is just behind a ring as a dream come true for fans of the Clippers.

With this news, Tyronn Lue should ensure that in his game plan, Leonard is used reasonably, particularly in back-to-backs. These are the times when players will be at rest less, making fatigue more likely.

Thus, eyeing Leonard’s minutes and usage will be the biggest responsibility on Lue’s shoulders. If the game is being executed ideally, and there is an opportunity for the superstar forward to take a break, it should be taken with no questions asked.